Gas relief-valve.



L. B. FULTON.

GAS RELIEF VALVE.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 2a, 1913.

1, 1 1 0,320. n d pt. 15, 1914,.

6 an I FE! {9 RV, \I

ww/wto'v laudsZMza. MK/ mom STATES PATENT oFFIoE.

-. LOUIS nrUL'roN, 0F PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR TO THE GHAPL'IN- FULTON ANuFAc'rUm e COMPANY, PORATION or PENNSYLVANIA.

To all whom it may concern:

- Referring to the the casing 2 the inlet or high-pressure main which lea'dsfrom a compressor (not 40.

Be it known that I,.I10Uis B; Fnn'rox, of

Pittsburgh, in the countyof Allegheny andv State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Gas Relief-Valves; and Ido hereby declare the following to be a full, clear,. and exact description of the invention, such as will -.enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same. In .the manufacture.- of; 'gasolene from natural gas it is necessary, after precipita-.

tion or liquification, to periodically reduce the pressure of the gas asmuch as from" ten to twenty pounds and foreconomic reasons care has to be exercised. notto allow toogreat a reduction, since such reductions have involved awaste of gas.

may be drawn for any desired purpose.

A further, object is to provide a, relief valve for the purpose" stated which-will be. wholly automatic in operation,-being open-.

ed to discharge when the maximum pressure has been attained in the compressor and closed when the necessary reductionhas been effected. And a further object is to render the valve adjustable so that the periods of reduction may. be shortened or a its seat, asis also the high-pressure valve lengthened.

In the accompanying, drawing the figure my improved valve. drawings, 1 designates is a vertical longitudinal sectional view of.

- action of its weights.

shown); 3 the outlet or low-pressu'refmain which may connectwith a city or othersupply; and 4 the main valve which is normally:

held to its seat by the pressure at the inlet plus the action of a spring 5. v

superposed on the valve-casing .is a

chamber 6 wherein is a' diaphragm T whichis designed to effect the downward movement of a slidable member 8 andthrou'gh the latter the tilting of-a lever 9' which has,

an adjustably positioned. weight 10' at one pipe is also connectedv to a second diaphragm chamber which .,isl"showni as OF PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA, A COB- Specification 01! Letters Patent. Patented Sept 15 1914. Application me June 23, 1913. Serial No. 775,351.

located between the valve casing and diaphragm chamber 6. The diaphragm 14 in chamber 13 is designed to act downwardly on a vertically slidable member 15 by which the main valve is forced from its seat. The upper end of the member 15 is of greater cross-sectional area than the underside of the main valve.

In the connection between pipe 12 and diaphragm chamber 13 is a high-pressure valve 16 which normally closes communication to said chamber, being held to its seat by a spring. This diaphragm chamber '13 is also connected with the outlet main 3, and in such connection has a low-pressure valve 17 which, in practice, is normally held from its seat by lever 9. but when the un seating means is removed such valve is antomatlcall seated by its spring. The stems ofboth 0 these valves, 16 and 17, project beyond the upper ends of their casings, and are.. shown as being in 'the same vertical plane so that they may bealternately unseated by lever 9. The latter is shown as having two tappets 18, each of which. is adjustable to time the opening and closing of the valves, said tappets being designed to engage the valve stems. The time of engagement may be changed by adjusting the tappets which latter-are shown in the form of nutted bolts carried by the lever.

Normally the main inlet valve is held to 16, but the low-pressure valve 17 is normallyheld unseated by the lever under the p F Let it be assumed that in the-main 2 leading from the condenser there is a maximum pressure of 200 pounds although in actual practice this pressure may be anywhere from 200 to 300 pounds, more or less. When the maximum pressure is attainedand it is desired to blow down-and thereby decrease the pressure as much as from 10 to 20 pounds, the weight.

on the lever beingproperly adjusted, and the proper tension placed on the mainvalve spring, the apparatus is ready for action. The pressure at the inlet, coupled with the lifting action of the spring, will holdthe main valve to itsseat. As.the, maximum pressure is attained it will act downwardly on diaphragm '6, and.-throi 1gh the sliding member. 7 weighted lever 'will be rocked on its fulcrum, thereby unseating the highpressure valve 16, and allowing the lowpressure valve 17 to seat. When valve 16 is 'unseated" the pressurein the inlet main will act downwardly on diaphragm 14 and thereby unseat the main valve, allowing the pressure from the inlet side of themain valve to pass into the outlet main wherein the pressure may range from zero to 50 pounds, more or less, and from this main the gas may be used for whatever purpose desired. As soon as the necessary reduction of pressure in the inlet main hasbeen at-' soon as this occurs the main valve will immediately be forced to its seat by the outflowing gas and the uplifting action of its p i g: l

. ,The advantages of my invention will be readily appreciated by those skilled in the art. All of the parts are quick and positive, in operation. This is absolutely essential in a-device of this character. The diaphragm "Z which'is always subjected to the igh-pressure has only a very slight movement, and this movement multiplied by the distance from the center of the diaphragm to the stem of the inlet valve 16 insures the instant opening of the latter, This is also true in respect to the opening of the exhaust valve 17, the uick unseating of which insures the instant c osing of the main valve. The necessary periodic reductions are insured by. automatically-actuating means without any loss of gas whatsoever.

Icla iin as my invention:

. A gas relief valve comprising, in com bination, a mainyalve normally held to its .seat-by pressure at the inlet side thereof a gas-chamber having movable means or effecting the unseatmg of said main valve,

an inlet valve for said chamber controlling communication between the latter and the inlet side of the main valve, an -outlet valve for said chamber controllin communication between-the latter and t e outlet side of the main valve, and actuatingm'eans for alternately acting upon said inlet and outlet valves and arranged to open the inletvalve and clos the outlet valve under a predetermined pressure at the inlet side of the ,main valve and to open the outlet valve and close the inlet valve when the desired reduction in pressure on the inlet side of the main valve has been obtained.

2. A gas relief valve comprising, in combination, a,- main valve normall held to' its seatrby' pressure at the inlet-si e thereof, a

gas-chamber havin movable means for effecting the unseating of said main-valve, an inlet valve for said 'chamber, an outlet valve therefor controllinga connection between said g'as-chamber andthe outletside of said main valve, actuating means for said inlet and outlet valves arranged to open the inlet-valve and close the outlet-valve under a predetermined pressure at the inlet side of the mainvalve and to open the outlet valve and close the inlet valve when the desired reduction in pressure on the inlet .side of the main valve has been obtained, and ad justable means for timing the opening-and clcsingof said valves.

3. A gas relief valve comprising, in combination, a main valve normally held to its seat by pressure at the inlet side thereof, a gas-chamber having movable means for effecting the unseatingof said main valve, an inlet valve for said chamber, an outlet valve therefor, a'connection between said gas-chamber and the outlet side of said .Inain valve, said outlet-valve being located in said connection, a lever for alternately unseating said inlet and outlet valves, said inlet-valve being normally seated, a connection between sald gas-chamber and the inlet side of said main-valve in which said inletvalve is located, and actuating means for said lever constructed and arranged to be operated by. ressure from the inlet side of said main-Va ve.

4. A gas relief valve comprising, in combination, a main valve normally held to its seat by pressure at the inlet side thereof, a gas-chamber having movable means for effecting the unseatin of said main valve, an inlet valve for sai chamber, an outletvalve therefor, a lever for alternately un-' seating said valves, a second gas-chamber having movable means for actuating said lever to unseat said inlet-valve and seat said outlet-valve, and a pipe connecting said second gas-chamber with the inlet side of the main-valve to allow the pressure on said inlet side to enter said gas chamber.

-5. A gas relief valve comprising, in combination, a main valve normally held to its seat by pressure at the inlet side thereof, a gas-chamber having movable means for effecting the unseating of said main-valve, an inlet valve for said chamber, an outletvalve therefor controlling a connection between said gas-chamber and the outlet side of said main valve, a lever for alternately unseati'ng and seating'said valves, a. second gas-chamber having movable means for actuating said lever to unseat said inlet-valve and seat said outlet-valve, and a pipe connecting said second gas-chamber with the inlet side of the main-valve to allow the pressure on said inlet side to enter said gas chamber.

6. A gas-relief valve. comprising,vin com- 5 having a movable diaphragm,

bination, a main valve normally heldto its seat by pressure at the inlet side thereof, said inlet side being designed to be connected to a gas compressor, a gas-chamber a sliding member designed to be actuated by said diaphragm to unseat said main valve, a gas inlet-valve and a gas outlet-valve for said gas-chamber, a connection between the latter and the outlet side of the main valve, said outlet-valve being located in said connection, a lever for alternately unseating said inlet and outlet valves, a second gaschamber having a movable diaphragm, a J sliding member actuated thereby for shifting said lever, a pipe connecting said second gas-chamber with the inlet side of said main-valve, and a connection between said pipe and the first mentioned gas-chamber :3 wherein said inlet-valve is located.

7. In a gas relief-valve, a main-valve, a

' gas-chamber having movable means for unthe latter to open sure at the inlet side of t seating said main-valve against the inlet pressure, a connection between said gaschamber and the inlet side of said main valve, an inlet-valve in said connection, a connection between said gas-chamber and the outlet side of the main valve, an outletvalve in said latter connection, said inlet and outlet valves having projecting stems, a lever having adjustable tappets for engaging said stems, and actuating means for said lever constructed and arranged to cause the inlet-valve and close the outlet-valve under a e main valve.

In testimony whereof, I have signed this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

LOUIS B. FULTON.

Witnesses:

V. C. GHAPLIN, W. MCKEE.

redetermined pres- 

